Distribution and Habitat
The western trumpeter whiting ranges from southern Western Australia northwards along the coast of the Northern Territory and north Queensland as well as further north along southern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
S. burrus inhabits water between 5 and 15 m deep, with juveniles inhabiting shallow shoreline areas and moving offshore to slightly deeper water as they mature. They do not extend to the depths of other co-occurring sillaginids such as S. robusta. S. burrus prefers silty-sand or muddy substrates, with the larger adults feeding near channels and sandbars, and may also be found on mostly sandy bottoms.
The juveniles of the species are known to inhabit protected seagrass beds where they take advantage both the sheltered environment and also prey species that inhabit the seagrass community. The young are also known to inhabit mangrove creeks and broken bottom, as well as entering estuaries during Summer and Autumn in southern estuaries. Juvenile S. burrus are recruited to the estuary system, where with a number of other species continue a cycle of fish species throughout the year. The species also has the ability to withstand brackish water for extended periods, evident by their presence in intermittently open estuaries which are closed to the sea for most of the year.
Read more about this topic: Western Trumpeter Whiting
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